- Zacharie Jacob
Zacharie Jacob (d. 1667), known as Montfleury, was a famed French
actor andplaywright of the 17th century.Jacob was born in
Anjou during the last years of the 16th century. He was enrolled as one of the pages to theduc de Guise , but he ran away to join some strolling players, assuming the stage name of Montfleury. About 1635, he was a valued member of the company at theHôtel de Bourgogne , and he was in the original cast of the "Cid" (1636) and of "Horace" (1640).Richelieu thought highly of him, and when in 1638, Montfleury married the actress Jeanne de la Chalpe (d. 1683), the cardinal desired the ceremony to take place at his own country house at
Rueil .He was the author of a tragedy, "La Mort d'Asdrobal", performed in 1647. His son,
Antoine Jacob , who was also known as Montfleury, was a rival ofMolière andCyrano de Bergerac . Both father and son feuded with Molière. Zacharie was mocked for his girth in a Molière play, to which Antoine responded with one mocking Molière. Shortly before his death, Zacharie denounced Molière to King Louis XIV as having committedincest , a rumor which has never gone away.Montfleury died in Paris from the rupture of a blood-vessel, while playing the part of
Orestes in "Andromaque", in December 1667. It is believed that a metal belt he used to support his enormous belly was the cause.References
*1911
External links
* [http://www.scr.org/season/03-04season/programs/lovers.pdf Profiles] of Zacharie Jacob and Antoine Jacob
* [http://www.toutmoliere.net/dictionnaire/montfleury.html Montfleury] biography at Molière website fr icon
* [http://www.cyranodebergerac.fr/roxane_autres_contenu.php?contenu_id=9 Roxane et les autres: Montfleury] biography atCyrano de Bergerac website fr icon
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